


Unwind

by gothamsoul (roughknuckles)



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU
Genre: Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Implied Slash, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-10
Updated: 2010-03-10
Packaged: 2018-02-12 15:03:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2114394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roughknuckles/pseuds/gothamsoul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce returns home after addressing Washington about rebuilding Gotham after the earthquake. Dick is the only one able to console him. </p>
<p>[relevant story arcs: Cataclysm, No Man's Land]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unwind

Bruce was home. He'd left Gotham after the earthquake to meet with congress in Washington, and from what Dick had managed to see on their only functioning television, it had not gone well at all.  
   
He heard the door to Bruce's jaguar slam shut and the sound of quick, tense footsteps approaching the Batcave. Congress argued that Gotham City was not a place worth rebuilding after the quake, to Bruce it was like a doctor pulling the life support away from his child. Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy, had gone to plead for his city, but was only rebuked by self-satisfied politicians who could only see the bottom line ... dollars and cents.  
   
Nightwing was in the mostly intact Batcave that had survived even the crushing weight of the partially demolished (again) Wayne Manor on top of it. This would not be pretty.  
   
Bruce was in full Batman mode as he entered the cave, Dick could tell, just from the charge in the air around the silhouetted figure who approached, not venturing into the light.  
   
"Hey," Dick said as cheerfully as he could on three hours sleep. Bruce had to go, of course, which left Nightwing with double duty in the ruins of Gotham, populated only by those too poor to flee and those who saw those desperate people as prey. No answer from Bruce ... it was what he expected.  
   
"Robinson park is actually secure now, believe it or not. Downtown's not so bad now that Gordon's returned with more backup. I've been able to concentrate on the Narrows ... or at least what's left of them." Dick pulled his mask off with a sigh, laying it on the counter as he turned in the chair, looking at the dark corner he suspected Bruce was in.  
   
"You won't believe this, but Ivy's gone babysitter on us, that's what's happened in Robinson Park, and-"  
   
"Are you okay?" A low, tense growl came from a completely different corner than where Dick had been looking. 

_Shit, I must be really, really tired.  
   
_ The familiar, terrifying shadow of the Bat stepped out of the dark and Dick could tell from the hard, nearly shaking set of Bruce's jaw that what happened in Washington was meant to stay in Washington. End of discussion before it could begin.   
   
"Me? Uh, yeah. Mostly. Not hurt if that's what you mean. Alfred's fine too, he's in Metropolis right now rounding up some help but he should be back by dinner." Dick stood, the shoulder of his costume was ripped and his skin underneath scraped from a close call with a falling brick, but he knew in his gut who was far, far worse for the wear in the cave.  Washington had humiliated Bruce. Dick knew Bruce went with no option in his head but victory and defeat was rare for the Dark Knight, rarer still for Mr. Wayne.  
   
"I know you're not going to answer me, but how are you?" Dick asked. In response, the Bat disappeared. Back into one of the forbidding shadows.  
   
"Bruce ..." Dick sighed, remembering all too well when he was young, and upset, and didn't want to be found. He'd come down here to hide too, and it had taken Bruce twenty minutes to talk him down from one of the higher ledges of the cave, where the Bats nested.  
   
Dick stepped into the shadow, knowing that if Bruce didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be.  
   
"Bruce, I'm sorry. I'm sorry it didn't go well, and I wish there was something, anything I could do ... but keeping this bottled up is not going to help, you have to get it out.  Somehow. C'mon ... Bruce?"  
   
A deep voice, close to breaking spoke from just behind Dick's right ear. "I ... failed."  
   
Dick took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, knowing better than to turn and face the Bat right now, for all his legendary bravery, Dick knew he would retreat before Dick had turned all the way.  
   
"No, Bruce. _They_ failed. They failed to listen, they failed to see beyond the tips of their noses and save the city ... it's not your fault. At least you tried ..." Calling on his own store of bravery, Dick reached back and caught a gauntleted hand, holding it firmly with his own. Bruce was just going to have to suffer through some sap, damn it.  
   
"Do you remember what you told me after I'd run away? After Two-Face?" Dick continued, used to one sided conversations. "I thought you didn't want me around because I screwed up and that's why you made me quit, so I ran away because I thought you didn't want a screw up around at all. Right?"  
   
Still nothing, but the hand didn't pull away.  
   
"Right. And you said that all you ask is that I do my best, and if I did that much, and I listened to you, it was all you could ask from me, and you gave me my costume back." Dick turned, but the way the dim light backlit Bruce, it was hard to tell that the man was in the costume at all. His human features were obscured in shadow.  
   
"You did all you could do, and Gotham still wants you.  I ..." Dick swallowed, realizing the way this was going to sound. "I still want you, Bruce. You're ... needed. Gotham needs you, and so does Alfred and Tim, and so do I. No matter what I say sometimes. Alright?" The only response Bruce gave was a slight shift of his shoulders.  
   
"Okay. Now ... because this is _my_ lecture, you're going to get a hug whether you like it or not ..." it was impossible to tell if Dick was successful at making the man smile, or even relax a little. "Okay? You just have to suck it up and deal with it." Dick shook his black hair out of his tired blue eyes.  
   
"One ..." he counted off as they did when they had to shift something impossibly heavy together. "Two ..."   
   
"Two and a half ... Two and three quarters ... Two and seven eighths ..." Batman still didn't move away, and Dick decided that maybe Bruce really needed this after all and was just too tired to fight it.  
   
"Three-" Dick hesitated only a second and pulled Bruce into his arms, or rather, ended up pulling himself against Batman's chest. He could feel Bruce breathing underneath, which for some reason was a huge relief, and Dick tightened his arms a little more.  
   
A moment later, he felt arms tighten back, around him, as tightly as though the Bat were trying to shield him from a blast.  
   
 _Holy shit. He's hugging. Where's the camera?  
   
_ They stayed locked together for what seemed like an hour, Dick eventually rested his head on the blacker than black cloak that ended up surrounding them both as he let Bruce hold him for as long as he needed to, as though he were absorbing something from the younger man the way Clark needed sunlight. If Dick didn't know it wasn't possible, he would have sworn that he felt something wet and warm drop against his neck from Bruce's face under the mask.  
   
But that wasn't possible.  
   
"It's okay," Dick murmured, "we'll find a way. Always do."  
   
One of the strong, gloved hands found it's way into Dick's hair and suddenly, pressed against Dick's lips was a mouth ... strong, warm, and strangely gentle. Dick's eyebrows shot up his head and his body stiffened for a moment, but Bruce's arms just tightened around him reassuringly, as though he knew that the second later, the young man in his arms would (as he did) relax against them.  
   
 _Oh._  
   
All of Bruce's frustration, all of his sorrow and anger poured into their kiss, years of things left carefully unsaid between them. Dick's agile arms tightened and he tilted his head back as he met Bruce more than half way, stroking his tongue against Bruce's lips, which made them both groan at the same time. Dick couldn't help laughing, but they didn't stop. For anything.  
   
Afterwards, lying on the bare work table under the dark cloak of the Bat, Dick curled into Bruce's arms with a smile and tucked his face against his neck. Nothing had been said, not before, not during, not a word. Words weren't needed for some things, sometimes Bruce's way was better, Dick reflected.

**Author's Note:**

> co-authored.


End file.
